Hempstead Flukes 1975-1984

[F-Man]

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All photos from the Popeleski collection
Courtesy of Stan Dybus

[LUNCHBOX]

There are MANY, MANY more to come. Thanks again Jeff.

[kippy]

What year did Bumpy get hurt?

[Dan Laverty]

Great pics. I see my Dad in the back of the first one. Left side Digger? Anyone? Anyone?
Oh and WTF is that Hippy thrower doing?

[F-Man]

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All photos from the Popeleski collection
Courtesy of Stan Dybus

[GuardrailGeek]

Feb 5, 2010 7:20:30 GMT -5 kippy said:

What year did Bumpy get hurt?

...........at practice in the 1980 drill season.

[xtinguisher275]

just throwing this out there PAT JAFFARES IS THE MAN!

[digger127]

When you think of Pat Jaffares, you think of his excellent talent and ability as a nozzleman. Until seeing these pictures, I forgot that Pat threw for B and C ladder. He truly was an all around racing guy. Guardrail Geek was there any event that you did not run in as a Fluke?

[GuardrailGeek]

Feb 12, 2010 8:28:24 GMT -5 digger127 said:

Guardrail Geek was there any event that you did not run in as a Fluke?

Thanks for the props! I was very fortunate to join the Flukes when there was plenty of opportunity and great leadership to teach the new guys.

That would be BIG thanks to Bob Noonan, Jackie Cloudman, Bumpy Bray and Bob Marra - and there were others, but they were the core that was left from the first team to win a major motorized drill in 1965...I can't thank you guys enough.

Oddly enough, I learned my nozzle basics from Twan's Dad Pig Simone before I joined, who was kind that nosy kid on a bike that showed up at everyone's practice. The Flukes gave me a length of hose to practice the winter before I was sworn in, and my Dad, who was a machinist, made me a nozzle.

So nozzle was first, and later that year I was trained to be a digger, and we barely had enough guys for Pump, Efficiency and we could never run Buckets.

As my years progressed with the Flukes, I moved to ladder throwing, added Motor Pump hydrant, and from an Efficiency coupling to the Hydrant. A few years later, I got my shot at Efficency nozzle. When we developed a bucket team and I was the last man on the ladder, passing buckets up to Jackie Cloudman.

I realize I haven taken way too long was to answer the question, but it wasn't "all-of-a-sudden", it was a long, loving process to get the chance to run every event. Thanks for asking.

[digger127]

Thanks Pat for completing the picture of your days with the Flukes. You moved over to the Knockers about a year after I started running with Floral Park. It was always great to watch you on the course, not only the talent you brought to each event you ran but your leadership with your team. It was incredible to be there when you won the state championship that you sought for so many years.

["LILCOS"]

team photo #10 l-r kevin cooke, bumpy bray, cos, jack cloudman, john murphy, tiny,the john monahan, kevin maxwell, scott laverty, jim sandas, george sandas, jim cloudman, albie cooke
larry burke, kneeling pat cooke, and lilcos

[ranger2212]

hope you guys liked those pics because fman has alot more to up! not only of the flukes but many other tams. cant wait til we see them!

[digger127]

Boring winter days leave you to your own devices. Thought I would take a pot shot at trying to identify some of the pictures. Pictures 1 and 4 are the Hempstead course, no idea which tournament or date; Pictures 5, 7 and 12 look like the '79 State Tournament in Rochester on the oval race track; Pictures 11 and 13 look like one of the old Hicksville tournaments in the shopping center parking lot, no idea about date.

Am I right or wrong? Can anyone fill in the blanks?

[LUNCHBOX]

Picture 2 is from the State Drill in Watertown in 1983.

Pictures 5,6,7 & 12 are from the State Drill in Rochester in 1979.

Pictures 11 and 13 are from the 1979 Labor Day Drill in Hicksville on Nelson Ave. (The only year that it was held there)

[ranger2212]

pic 9 is at c.i.